Case for change

Like us, we are sure you are very proud of this area. It is a great place to live and work. But we can always make the area a better place.

One aspect we need to improve on is our health. The fact is we are not as healthy as we should be.

This is shown by some stark national statistics.

There has been a lot of excellent work over the years to make us healthier and many people have experienced good health and social care.

But we can, and we must, do more. As this document shows, there is a clear case for change to the way we do things.

That is why the NHS and Councils in this area are working together to have a look at how we can change the health and social care system to meet these challenges.

Of course, we also have to be realistic. There is not an unlimited pot of money to achieve this aim.

We have to be efficient as well as effective and we all have to do things differently.

Now is a golden opportunity to start a conversation about the future of our health and social care system. This document gives you the facts about our area, our health and well being, and our health and social system.

We want to use this conversation as a starting point because we need your help, your support and your ideas on how to transform the health service and people’s health and well being so we can make the changes needed.

Everyone can play a part in helping create a new system which meets the challenges we face today and the challenges we face in the future.

And if everyone works together – residents, community groups, businesses, public sector, charities, patients and carers – we can achieve our vision of people as fit and healthy as they can be, supported by health and social care services which are responsive to our needs when needed.